Aggies dominate from start to finish

In the weekend's only ranked college football matchup, No. 25 Texas A&M made a statement with a 41-10 win over No. 9 Missouri on Saturday afternoon at Kyle Field. The Aggies totaled 512 yards on offense while limiting the Tigers to just 254 in a dominant effort.

Here are five takeaways from the game as A&M improved to 5-1 and 3-0 in conference play.

Conner Weigman is making up for lost time

A&M fans' lasting memory of redshirt sophomore quarterback Conner Weigman was his 100-yard performance with two interceptions in the season opener against Notre Dame. Against Missouri, he successfully turned history around his name and looked like the signal caller the 12th man was expected to be this year.

Weigman, playing for the first time since Sept. 7 after suffering an AC sprain in his throwing shoulder, didn't miss a single pass for 276 yards on 18 of 22 passes. He demonstrated impressive accuracy connecting with ten different receivers and completed nine passes of 15 or more yards.

The Cypress native also did it with his legs, gaining 33 yards on five attempts. Weigman showed early glimpses of his effective climbing ability and reinforced that on Saturday. He may not have the run-first talent of redshirt freshman QB Marcel Reed, but he is still valuable.

Weigman's shoulder looks good now and any quarterback controversy could be put to rest.

The Aggies defense was ready for Brady Cook and Luther Burden

Missouri's graduate QB switched from Cooking to Cooked this season. Brady entered the game as one of the most reliable quarterbacks in the conference, but couldn't muster much offense against A&M's defensive presence. He completed 13 of 31 passes for 186 yards, with a 59-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Theo Wease Jr. for his only score.

The Aggies made sure the Tigers couldn't get anything going on the ground by applying heavy pressure in the trenches. Missouri's leading rusher, graduate running back Nate Noel, managed just 30 of the team's 68 rushing yards, while Cook's net total was 11 yards thanks to six sacks from six different Aggies.

Almost more impressive was that A&M neutralized any threat from star junior WR Luther Burden III. With four touchdowns in the game, Burden caught just four passes for 49 yards, with a would-be 75-yard score negated by a downfield ineligible penalty.

Saturday was the epitome of complementary football, with the Aggies dominating on both sides of the game.

The offensive line is the spark behind the A&M running game

Is there a better position group in all of college football than the Aggies' offensive line? Coach Adam Cushing has turned unity from a liability to a key strength of the team. The line paved the way for 236 rushing yards and five touchdowns as the A&M running game continued to shine.

Weigman was sacked only once as his team gave him all day to make throws into a big pocket. As he passed the ball, the rushers found holes to run through. Junior running back Le'Veon Moss converted 12 carries for 138 yards and three scores, including a 75-yard dash into the end zone early in the second half.

Junior RB Amari Daniels gained 38 yards and matched his season performance with two more touchdowns. Stanford transfer RB EJ Smith added 26 yards on six carries.

The Aggies shined on third and fourth downs

For most of the game, A&M failed to get off the field in the third period, but in the best way possible. The Aggies' offense used seven of twelve third-down opportunities, ensuring long, sustained scoring runs. A&M scored on seven of its first nine possessions. Four of the touchdown drives were 60 yards or more.

It was a completely different story for the Tigers, who were successful on just five of their 15 third-down plays. They tried fourth down four times, often with a large deficit out of necessity, and only got a first down once. Missouri ranked eighth in the nation with a .547 third-down conversion rate entering the game, while A&M was 77th with .387.

The Aggies made the necessary plays when they had to, which made the difference.

A&M is firmly in the hunt for the College Football Playoff

Coach Mike Elko may disagree, but this was a statement win for the Aggies on a national level. In college football's only ranked game this weekend, A&M captured the nation's attention and turned it into a dominant performance over a top-10 program.

The Aggies were taking care of the third step of a lavish SEC schedule that does not include Alabama, Georgia or Ole Miss. A&M enters the bye week on a five-game winning streak before a road trip to lowly Mississippi State. There are still LSU, South Carolina and Texas to worry about, but the Aggies are in a good position at the halfway point of the season.

If A&M can keep the train rolling, a spot in the College Football Playoff is in sight with a top-10 win.

Find more Texas A&M coverage from The Dallas Morning News here.